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Question 29 of 34 Map Sapling Learning macmillan learning You stand on a straigh

ID: 1872522 • Letter: Q

Question

Question 29 of 34 Map Sapling Learning macmillan learning You stand on a straight desert road at night and observe a vehicle approaching. This vehicle is equipped with two small headlights that are 0.661 m apart. At what distance, in kilometers, are you marginally able to discern that there are two headlights rather than a single light source? Take the wavelength of the light to be 557 nm and your pupil diameter as 5.01 mm. Number km Previous Give Up & View Solution e Check Answer Next 41 Exit- Y Hint

Explanation / Answer

given wavelength of light, lambda = 557 nm
pupil diameter, a = 5.01 mm
let distance between the lights, d = 0.661 m
distance of the vehicle from the person = D

now, from reiligh's criterion for minimum resolvable detail in circular apertures is given by

d = 1.22*D*lambda/a
D = ad/1.22*lambda = 5.01*10^-3*0.661/1.22*557*10^-9 = 4873.31135 m
hence
D = 4.8733 km

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